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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28283844">Got Nowhere to Go</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/htbthomas/pseuds/htbthomas'>htbthomas</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Palm Springs (2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Nyles/Sarah in background, Other Time-Looping Characters from the Film, POV Outsider, Time Loop, Yuletide Treat</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-12-25</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-10 23:08:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,561</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28283844</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/htbthomas/pseuds/htbthomas</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Nana's been here so long that she never thought anyone else would join her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>64</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Yuletide 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Got Nowhere to Go</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/alchemise/gifts">alchemise</a>.</li>



    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Thanks to katherine_tag for the beta!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Nana settles into her chair to prepare for the next toast. Actually, her name isn't really Nana, but she's been a grandmother for so long that after she stops referring to herself as "Mom," "Nana" is an easy next step. She takes a sip of her wine. There's something different in the toast tonight, namely who's giving it. Not the cute little bridesmaid who has about ten years more growing up to do, not Tala's dear sister, who is wiser than her years but doesn't know it yet, but the cute bridesmaid's boyfriend. Or soon to be ex-boyfriend, based on the time she wandered past that bathroom. Nyles, that's his name, right? That's a change. "Time has no meaning, do whatever you fuckin' want," he concludes, dropping the mic, and Nana's eyes go wide. Oh my. He's in it now.</p><p>The time loop.</p><p>Nana's been here so long that she never thought anyone else would join her. After all, the triangle cave is really far out in the desert, not easy to find even if you know what you're looking for. She'd gotten lost on her evening walk after the reception and forgotten to take her cellphone, and the glow had drawn her. She'd thought the light was a campfire, with people who could help her get back to the hotel. But no. Just a heartbeat-like glow and a strange force that dragged her across the gravelly floor back to waking up in her room.</p><p>Nana wonders if she should say something to him. After all, when she first realized she was trapped, she'd talked to every person she could find. First tentatively, then straight out asking, her voice quavering more than she liked, "Why is this day repeating? Why?"</p><p>That had led to sedatives and being gently coerced back to her room, so she stopped. There is no one else. She's here alone, and living some sort of purgatory on earth. Or maybe she <i>did</i> die, out there in the desert, and her hell is reliving her last day over and over. Or heaven? It is a pretty nice day to relive, all told, her handsome grandson getting married to a lovely girl who thinks the world of him. She can dream of the gorgeous great-grandbabies they might make in the future she'll never see. She's grown to accept it, changing little things about the day to see what will happen, but otherwise it isn't a bad life; Palm Springs is a resort town for goodness' sake, and if this is all real, she's probably added years to her life. Being alone in it isn't so bad.</p><p>Except now, she isn't alone.</p><p>Should she tell him that? She doesn't know how to get out of the loop, only how to make peace with it, and judging by his alcohol-fueled behavior the rest of the night, maybe she should wait until he calms down a bit.</p>
<hr/><p>A year later, Nyles is doing much better. Most of the time he doesn't even come to the reception, but when he does, it's almost always to pick someone up. Nana shrugs; she's been there. Palm Springs is pretty popular for retirees, too. If she were younger with a bit more energy, she might still be in that phase. But she's been content to enjoy the pleasant weather and eat and drink a little more richly, and spend quality time with her grandson in between the preparations and the ceremony. </p><p>As the years go by, once or twice she thinks about talking to Nyles, of giving him some hint that they're in this together. But then Roy happens.</p><p>Roy goes through many of the same stages that Nana had, that Nyles had... but it's a little different. Because Nyles brought Roy into the loop <i>on purpose</i>.</p><p>And now he's pissed.</p><p>She'd spent many a lovely evening in conversation with Roy—he's a handsome man, how could she resist?—before he was in the loop. Now she stays far away from both of them. If either one had any idea that she's in here with them, too... she shudders. She doesn't want anything to do with whatever sick game they're playing. She watches Roy chase Nyles through the guests at the reception, knocking over tables and spilling drinks and food everywhere while people scream—and rolls her eyes. Turning to Tala's stepmother, she asks, "So, how long do you think it will be until I see a few great-grandbabies?"</p><p>Just a hypothetical. She's not sure she ever will, after all.</p>
<hr/><p>Something's about to change. Nyles is giving his wedding speech, the one specially curated to catch Sarah's attention, the one he's been successful with many times over, but there's an electricity in the air, like something's about to happen. </p><p>She's been on alert since Roy came into their world, to see if she can sense a change before it happens. She should have, when Nyles came in, and then Roy. It's weird. Not a word that night is a single syllable out of step from the usual script—Nyles really has tailored his seduction over time—but she just knows. Will it be a positive thing, will it tip the universal scales toward good? Can she stop it if not?</p><p>She stands carefully, making her way over to where Nyles is officially introducing himself to Sarah, for the first-slash-thousandth time. "Dear," she says, "I have been to more weddings in my life than you can imagine—" Will he catch her drift?</p><p>"You might be surprised," Nyles murmurs. Guess not.</p><p>"And I have to say that your speech is the best wedding speech I've ever heard." And she's heard a lot of them, especially this one.</p><p>He gives her a self-deprecating scoff. He's good, this one.</p><p>"Shukran," she tells him. Will he know what she means? Does he feel the crackle in the air, too?</p><p>"Wow. Thank you," he says as she moves away. And then she watches him from a distance, until he and Sarah disappear into the night. She doesn't dare follow them, even for curiosity's sake. What if she unknowingly tips the scales in the wrong direction? She'll just have to wait and see.</p>
<hr/><p>The next day she wishes she followed them. Roy did. And now Sarah is in it, too. If she'd gone, could she have prevented it? Maybe Sarah joining them was predestined, because that crackle is gone, replaced with something like... anticipation. This little world is waiting for something, if Nana could figure out what it is.</p><p>But not now, there's a nice breakfast buffet waiting for her, and she always wakes up hungry. There's comfort in the loop, as much as tedium.</p><p>It's only a matter of months—an instant compared to this endless day—before she knows the full extent of what has changed. This time, truths come leaking out of the woodwork. Her sweet, handsome grandson—a cheater! She's so shocked for a few days that she pretends a tummy bug to get out of attending the next few weddings. No wonder Sarah seemed so sad and worldly-wise before the loop. Now Nana knows it's mixed with a healthy dose of self-loathing.</p><p>When Sarah disappears from the wedding for months more after that, Nana assumes she's going through the depression cycle, or the escape cycle, or even the denial cycle. And Nyles is distraught. Another truth Nana sees long before Nyles does—he loves Sarah so much he wants to stay in this day forever. But then Sarah comes back, gives the most amazing unrehearsed toast (Nyles could take a few notes), and then Nana overhears something she never expected.</p><p>Sarah, leaving Roy a voicemail, saying that she's found a way to break the time loop. Nana doesn't understand most of the physics of how it's going to work, just the part where there's an explosion at the end. The buzz of anticipation in Nana's blood reaches a fever pitch, and then all time seems to stop, not just loop.</p><p>There's a way out.</p><p>When she comes back to herself, she makes her way over to Sarah. "That was a lovely speech, dear."</p><p>"Thank you, Nana. Thanks." It's sweet that Sarah has been calling her Nana for a while now, and she is in many ways, her ancestor in this crazy time loop, hoping for a better world for her progeny. And Sarah will be responsible for it. She hopes.</p><p>"You know, I lost my mother when I was very young, too," Nana tells Sarah. Maybe she can step in somehow, be there for her when tomorrow finally comes.</p><p>"Yeah."</p><p>"Well, I suppose now that you'll be going soon..." Sarah's face starts to shift, a look of confusion coming over it. That's not good. "...Good luck." She doesn't want to distract Sarah from her mission, so she walks away, toward where the dancing is starting up. Feels like a little celebration is in order.</p><p>If she wakes up tomorrow and Nyles and Sarah are gone, or at least the time-looped versions are, then she'll start making plans to follow them. Enough wallowing in this perfect family portrait—Nyles and Sarah had cracked that frame wide open. She might not have a lot of years left in her life, but she's going to start living them again.</p><p>And maybe give the dinosaurs one last leafy meal before she goes.</p>
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